Um... usually I'd write some long, in depth, detailed recount of the episode and my opinions on it but... I'm pretty much speechless and anything I had planned has basically just gone out the window. I guess I'll start by saying that seeing the plan or 'D-Day' come to fruition was both satisfying and quite depressing. I know as they say at the end of the episode that Howard would have "landed on his feet" per say but it felt wrong and dirty to have been routing for Saul and Kim all this time. Seeing how humiliated Howard was... I'm not gonna lie, I felt for him. Lalo has been doing his best impression of Stephen King's Pennywise hangin' out in storm drain watching Gus' laundromat. His plans seemingly go out the window but I think it's safe to say he knows what's up. Right, let's talk the final scene. It was perfection. Haunting, gut wrenching perfection. The candle flickering as the door opened was chilling and that fantastic monologue by Patrick Fabian before Lalo enters the room and our hearts drop... wow. I'm not exaggerating when I say my jaw dropped and I was left in a state of petrification for a solid two minutes. "Let's Talk" is what we are left with for the next month and a half and I'm already aching to find out what happens next. This? Is why Better Call Saul is one of the best shows on television. 10/10 thank you for reading my review and I hope you have a lovely day or night wherever you may be.
429 Reviews
WHAT THE FFFFFFF!!!!
mattrabbi24 May 2022
I have no words. Speechless. This episode was brilliantly executed from start to finish, as always, with great pacing.
And then the ending hit and left me with my jaw dropped for about 30 minutes. Scratch that, my jaw is still on the floor as I'm typing this. I'm in shock. WTF.
And then the ending hit and left me with my jaw dropped for about 30 minutes. Scratch that, my jaw is still on the floor as I'm typing this. I'm in shock. WTF.
My Goodness!
Hitchcoc24 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I remember being transfixed as I made my way through Breaking Bad. So often the tension was unbearable. This episode of BCS had just that. Minute by minute it was enthralling. From the board room hysterics to the making of the photos. Then there is Lalo doing his thing, seeing what the Chicken Man is up to. I can't speak from a technical point, but I thought the visuals were second to none. And the conclusion. Now we wait for over a month. How cruel.
God Damn It!
MamadNobari9724 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
One of, if not the, most infuriating ending of BB and BCS, but we knew it was a really high possibility.
One of the most tragic ends to a tragic character. This is even more sad than Nacho's death, because Nacho actually got what he wanted and went out on his own terms, but Howard? The last memory everyone has of him, is his odd paranoid and drug addict behavior in the conference room, so his reputation is forever tarnished, and he was still optimistic about getting up again and go through this new hurdle in his way.
I'm just interested to see what becomes of Kim and how she's gonna cope for rest of her life with the fact that this was all her and Saul's doing and they practically killed Howard, just for fun.
One of the most tragic ends to a tragic character. This is even more sad than Nacho's death, because Nacho actually got what he wanted and went out on his own terms, but Howard? The last memory everyone has of him, is his odd paranoid and drug addict behavior in the conference room, so his reputation is forever tarnished, and he was still optimistic about getting up again and go through this new hurdle in his way.
I'm just interested to see what becomes of Kim and how she's gonna cope for rest of her life with the fact that this was all her and Saul's doing and they practically killed Howard, just for fun.
Jaw dropping and brutal.
Nagitokomeda23 May 2022
After lots of build up, we finally see the pin drop. This episode was so incredibly tense, with every moment being one I couldn't look away from. The acting was also amazing as usual, with Bob, Rhea and Patrick being extra incredible.
This is an episode people will always remember when they think of this show.
This is an episode people will always remember when they think of this show.
"Clever, clever chicken man!" 🐔
bosporan24 May 2022
Following Kim's U-Turn, a regroup and a reshoot, the plan to bring Howard down is finally launched. Meanwhile Lalo continues his slow progress towards bringing Gus down and gaining retribution from those who have done him wrong.
Both schemes collide with shocking, dramatic and tragic consequences.
Another fabulous top-drawer episode for mid-season.
Both schemes collide with shocking, dramatic and tragic consequences.
Another fabulous top-drawer episode for mid-season.
It's like a poem...
marveller-6624 May 2022
Incredible pay-off
Leofwine_draca16 June 2022
The best episode of the show yet. An intense, complex and quite wonderful scam plays out for the most part, and then on top of that there's a twist ending involving the secondary plot which absolutely blows you away. An incredible pay-off to what's come before.
Absolutely stellar
DjDarkrai1024 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
So far Better Call Saul season 6 has been nothing short of extraordinary, excelling in everything that makes both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul such great shows and feeling like a great mix of both.
This midseason finale is a perfect blend of pitch black comedy and constant anxiety, with a horrific ending that will surely shock all viewers (I audibly gasped).
10/10 episode!
This midseason finale is a perfect blend of pitch black comedy and constant anxiety, with a horrific ending that will surely shock all viewers (I audibly gasped).
10/10 episode!
"Plan and Execution" is the mid-season finale, it's cinematically brilliant and possibly one of the show's best episodes
Holt34424 May 2022
Thomas Schnauz (Producer, Director and writer) directed this fine achievement in television history, for me it's among the top 10 episodes in Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad, "Plan and Execution" has everything an episode of these shows need to have and it's done brilliantly, crafting an episode you could gladly call cinema and art. There's the black comedy, top notch drama, sequences full of suspension and tension but most importantly unpredictability. No spoilers, but to describe the episode in one word, wow is the word I would use.
"Plan and Execution" is a direct continuation to the previous episode and the tension remains after Kim Wexler making that U-Turn to help Jimmy deal with a last-minute snag in their plan. But there's another story arc in the episode, in the show, it's of course the Cartel one. Lalo Salamanca and Gustavo Fring, how will it turn out? There's truly tension and suspension in every scene, and I loved every minute of it. Seeing D-Day happen and the plan Jimmy and Kim made come to fruition, well, I absolutely loved it. It's some of the best writing I've seen in television and really shows how a slow paced serialized show is the best kind of show, because of the satisfaction of watching 10+ episodes of planning and doing. I'm speechless. This was 50 minutes of superb television.
But the acting, what can I say about that? It focused mainly on Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn, Tony Dalton and Patrick Fabian. Everyone gives a brilliant and memorable performance. But the episode's best performance goes to Patrick Fabian as Howard Hamlin, I think he deserves it, it's award worthy. But there are so many performances worth talking about from Tony Dalton as Lalo Salamanca to Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman, and of course I have to say that Rhea Seehorn has been killing it this season, bringing performances that deserve all praise and acclaim, for this episode, if Seehorn doesn't get nominated for her work this season, it'll be weird. Tony Dalton and Bob Odenkirk is two others who deserves an award for this season, but especially Tony Dalton. He plays Lalo so calm but yet so ice-cold, Lalo Salamanca have grown to be one of my favorite villains in the show.
The cinematography, editing and direction is three things this show and Breaking Bad have never failed as it's always been consistent in quality, extraordinary quality. You notice it in the wide shots, camera placement and everything else the cinematographer does, brilliantly done. The set design, prop placement and well the overall production design, it's perfect and when they set up the camera in their usual remarkable way, everything just looks amazing. It's a team effort, making each scene work from the director to the actors and everywhere in-between.
"Plan and Execution" is an episode that'll leave you on the edge of your seat, with scenes that'll leave you speechless. Vince Gilligan along with the writing team, truly, phenomenal work. Having a guy like Thomas Schnauz directing the episode, a man with such knowledge of the characters and world, but also a veteran so he knows the actors. You see how this is his finest work, in every scene, every frame. He loves the world of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, and we love him for it. He's one of many who have made this show, Better Call Saul, into the best spin-off show. For a Mid-season finale, this was the perfect way to end it, having us eagerly awaiting the second part of the final season, if it's going to be anything close to what we got in S6A, we're going to be in for one hell of a ride.
"Plan and Execution" is a direct continuation to the previous episode and the tension remains after Kim Wexler making that U-Turn to help Jimmy deal with a last-minute snag in their plan. But there's another story arc in the episode, in the show, it's of course the Cartel one. Lalo Salamanca and Gustavo Fring, how will it turn out? There's truly tension and suspension in every scene, and I loved every minute of it. Seeing D-Day happen and the plan Jimmy and Kim made come to fruition, well, I absolutely loved it. It's some of the best writing I've seen in television and really shows how a slow paced serialized show is the best kind of show, because of the satisfaction of watching 10+ episodes of planning and doing. I'm speechless. This was 50 minutes of superb television.
But the acting, what can I say about that? It focused mainly on Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn, Tony Dalton and Patrick Fabian. Everyone gives a brilliant and memorable performance. But the episode's best performance goes to Patrick Fabian as Howard Hamlin, I think he deserves it, it's award worthy. But there are so many performances worth talking about from Tony Dalton as Lalo Salamanca to Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman, and of course I have to say that Rhea Seehorn has been killing it this season, bringing performances that deserve all praise and acclaim, for this episode, if Seehorn doesn't get nominated for her work this season, it'll be weird. Tony Dalton and Bob Odenkirk is two others who deserves an award for this season, but especially Tony Dalton. He plays Lalo so calm but yet so ice-cold, Lalo Salamanca have grown to be one of my favorite villains in the show.
The cinematography, editing and direction is three things this show and Breaking Bad have never failed as it's always been consistent in quality, extraordinary quality. You notice it in the wide shots, camera placement and everything else the cinematographer does, brilliantly done. The set design, prop placement and well the overall production design, it's perfect and when they set up the camera in their usual remarkable way, everything just looks amazing. It's a team effort, making each scene work from the director to the actors and everywhere in-between.
"Plan and Execution" is an episode that'll leave you on the edge of your seat, with scenes that'll leave you speechless. Vince Gilligan along with the writing team, truly, phenomenal work. Having a guy like Thomas Schnauz directing the episode, a man with such knowledge of the characters and world, but also a veteran so he knows the actors. You see how this is his finest work, in every scene, every frame. He loves the world of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, and we love him for it. He's one of many who have made this show, Better Call Saul, into the best spin-off show. For a Mid-season finale, this was the perfect way to end it, having us eagerly awaiting the second part of the final season, if it's going to be anything close to what we got in S6A, we're going to be in for one hell of a ride.
I am not crazy!
TheDollyZoom24 May 2022
Oh my God, what a crazy ending
allkillahnofillah24 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Poor Howard, probably the most sympathetic character in Breaking Bad universe, definitely more sympathetic than Gale since Gale knowingly works for drug kingpin.
Lalo Salamanca, hands down the most cunning Salamanca and arguably one of the most cunning TV villains of all time.
Lalo Salamanca, hands down the most cunning Salamanca and arguably one of the most cunning TV villains of all time.
Would Lalo really do that?
Robosharp27 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I'm a big fan of BCS and Breaking Bad before that. I mostly enjoyed this episode - but would Lalo really just shoot Howard for no reason? I don't think so. He's supposed to be dangerous, but measured. The guys trying to lay low, the last thing he wants to be doing is murdering innocent civilians. His mission is to get Gus not to shoot random people. He didn't have to present himself to Jimmy and Kim whilst Howard was still there. It just didn't make sense to me.
It was a cool shock ending, but it did take credibility away from Lalo's character.
It was a cool shock ending, but it did take credibility away from Lalo's character.
Fine until something happened
Maugeh27 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I thought this was going to be best episode yet. Then in comes all to careful Lalo to a situation where he acts totally opposite what we have been used for him to act. Risks everything and end up killing a guy who has nothing to do with the situation. The killing was added purely for shock value. And at the same time whole Saul scheme was for nothing. Bad writing.
The episode we've been finally waiting for. One of the best episodes and easily the best of the season! Worth the wait. 10/10
EddyTheMartian00724 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
After the last couple of episodes which were a little underwhelming, but still really good, mainly being set up, it was worth the wait! The episode begins with Lalo hilariously coming out of a sewer finally back in the US. He takes a shower and goes back to the sewer with the cockroaches (where he belongs!) to spy on Gus's laundromat with the super lab after getting the information from poor Casper. That was already an exciting cold open as we've all been waiting for Lalo to finally come back into the main story, and it went worse than we could've imagined!
We smoothly get back to Jimmy and Kimmy's scheme, no need for explanations because we can now easily piece it together thanks to all the set up of the previous episodes. I love not only the intensity of the characters trying to fix the pictures before it's too late, but also the excitement as we live vicariously through them even if we know they're doing something bad. It's all beautifully captured in a long take of them setting up the pictures of the Judge Casimiro look a-like. The music in the background and excellent direction from Thomas Schnauz make this the most enjoyable and intense episode in a long time, even more so that the moment with Nacho for me.
We get a lot of time with Howard this episode, which hurts so much. Howard has been a character I've always liked, especially played by Patrick Fabian who I can't help but love, which makes this so tragic. The parallels to Chuck make this all more poetic and sad as he almost gets the same fate as him but without it actually being his own fault. Him being dosed by the drug and handling Irene so nicely brought more intensity. There's a lot of red herrings that keep you guessing and make the episode consistently so anxiety inducing. My stomach was in knots even during the ads!
It's also sad to see Clifford struggle to trust Howard because from the outside it truly seems like Howard is lying, which just makes for such great dramatic irony. When Howard finally goes off as we expected he gets his own Chicanery moment as Jimmy goes as far as to switching the pictures, and Fabian was glorious! Him putting their plan together and us knowing he can't prove it further makes this so hard to watch but great writing. Howard's life unraveling while Kim and Jimmy make out in the background is just hilarious and fitting, but in retrospect even more painful...
Lalo... when we finally saw Lalo back I was so excited as I was worried we wouldn't get more of him this episode. I just wanted to add that the cinematography in this episode was also excellent, as they had so many great shots of Lalo simply in the sewer. Lalo recording himself was hilarious, but when he accidentally incriminates himself to Gus by calling Hector that was no laughing matter. While Lalo is obviously a horrible human, his character is just so fascinating and enjoyable to watch because of how it ties to the plot and because of Tony Dalton's performance. So when Lalo tricks Gus with his own trick it was even more intense and exhilarating! We're left in the dark to what exactly is happening and it made more suspenseful.
So Howard... When Howard came to Jimmy's home to confront him I thought that was honestly it. It was a brilliant scene and arguably Fabian's best in an episode where he kept one upping himself. Howard just tragically describing Jimmy accurately knowing what he becomes, but giving even more insight into Kim. It was already an amazing moment, talking about his own issues, and then calling them soulless... Then that candle flickers and you know something is going wrong... I thought Lalo was really going to Gus, so when I saw him I was initially excited because I've been waiting for him to meet Jimmy one last time, but then the terror set in knowing what was coming with Howard... Poor Howard, in the wrong place at the wrong time. It made for the best scene in the season when we already had another amazing death scene with Nacho. I love the parallel to Bad Choice Road, the previous most intense scene in the series till now. While this wasn't a planned mid season finale or a planned cliff hanger it totally delivered and I couldn't be happier with this episode when I was a little underwhelmed by the last. To think Howard will probably be remembered for being on drugs in his last moment and maybe even killed by drug dealers, Wow... Thank you Better Call Saul. I know the 2 month break for the last 6 episodes will be worth it.
We smoothly get back to Jimmy and Kimmy's scheme, no need for explanations because we can now easily piece it together thanks to all the set up of the previous episodes. I love not only the intensity of the characters trying to fix the pictures before it's too late, but also the excitement as we live vicariously through them even if we know they're doing something bad. It's all beautifully captured in a long take of them setting up the pictures of the Judge Casimiro look a-like. The music in the background and excellent direction from Thomas Schnauz make this the most enjoyable and intense episode in a long time, even more so that the moment with Nacho for me.
We get a lot of time with Howard this episode, which hurts so much. Howard has been a character I've always liked, especially played by Patrick Fabian who I can't help but love, which makes this so tragic. The parallels to Chuck make this all more poetic and sad as he almost gets the same fate as him but without it actually being his own fault. Him being dosed by the drug and handling Irene so nicely brought more intensity. There's a lot of red herrings that keep you guessing and make the episode consistently so anxiety inducing. My stomach was in knots even during the ads!
It's also sad to see Clifford struggle to trust Howard because from the outside it truly seems like Howard is lying, which just makes for such great dramatic irony. When Howard finally goes off as we expected he gets his own Chicanery moment as Jimmy goes as far as to switching the pictures, and Fabian was glorious! Him putting their plan together and us knowing he can't prove it further makes this so hard to watch but great writing. Howard's life unraveling while Kim and Jimmy make out in the background is just hilarious and fitting, but in retrospect even more painful...
Lalo... when we finally saw Lalo back I was so excited as I was worried we wouldn't get more of him this episode. I just wanted to add that the cinematography in this episode was also excellent, as they had so many great shots of Lalo simply in the sewer. Lalo recording himself was hilarious, but when he accidentally incriminates himself to Gus by calling Hector that was no laughing matter. While Lalo is obviously a horrible human, his character is just so fascinating and enjoyable to watch because of how it ties to the plot and because of Tony Dalton's performance. So when Lalo tricks Gus with his own trick it was even more intense and exhilarating! We're left in the dark to what exactly is happening and it made more suspenseful.
So Howard... When Howard came to Jimmy's home to confront him I thought that was honestly it. It was a brilliant scene and arguably Fabian's best in an episode where he kept one upping himself. Howard just tragically describing Jimmy accurately knowing what he becomes, but giving even more insight into Kim. It was already an amazing moment, talking about his own issues, and then calling them soulless... Then that candle flickers and you know something is going wrong... I thought Lalo was really going to Gus, so when I saw him I was initially excited because I've been waiting for him to meet Jimmy one last time, but then the terror set in knowing what was coming with Howard... Poor Howard, in the wrong place at the wrong time. It made for the best scene in the season when we already had another amazing death scene with Nacho. I love the parallel to Bad Choice Road, the previous most intense scene in the series till now. While this wasn't a planned mid season finale or a planned cliff hanger it totally delivered and I couldn't be happier with this episode when I was a little underwhelmed by the last. To think Howard will probably be remembered for being on drugs in his last moment and maybe even killed by drug dealers, Wow... Thank you Better Call Saul. I know the 2 month break for the last 6 episodes will be worth it.
Once again an intense pay off of massive proportions
eaj-943-87490524 May 2022
I can't put into words how amazing this episode was. Even take out the scene everyone will be talking about, this episode is still perfect. Patrick Fabian gives one hell of a performance that matches Michael McKean's in "Chicanery." The pacing is also nonstop with barley anytime to catch your breath, until the commercials come on. This has easily become one of the best episodes of all television.
Gould and Gilliagan Outdo Themselves
unkommon24 May 2022
In the months to come, where Better Call Saul cements itself into the echelon of truly remarkable television shows, this will be one of the episodes pointed to as evidence of the show's greatness. For a "midseason finale", compared to really the only episode that makes sense, "Gliding Over All", this episode is by far the more impactful. The revelation Hank makes at the end of the episode, indeed as with "Plan and Execution" is indeed one that shifts the canvas sideways and completely changes the course of what has been building for four and a half seasons (or five and a half in this episode's case.)
Truly remarkable how something of such levity turned into the headstone that would contain the souls of Jimmy and Kim. Indeed, what was revealed to be their deceit was something that did relatively little harm, but it culminated with a "wrong place, wrong time" scenario whose harm is now immeasurable. The implications this has on the overall tone and writing of Better Call Saul are immense, but it, at the very least, has turned the entire atmosphere into one of morose and taints some of the brighter more congenial moments with a mar of doom. Truly an episode that will, for me at least, keep me from watching the series through such rose-colored glasses that knowing the harrowing outcome of some of these jovial plotlines glues them to the inevitable.
The beauty of Chuck's character is that his attitude and outlook made his death one of calloused exaltation (he indubitably dug his own grave by building the inescapable or perhaps insurmountable walls of isolation that would eventually drive him mad). Not much sympathy is felt for Chuck because he shunned the very world that allowed him his success, the world where Jimmys were allowed their guise, where his peers didn't revere him as a monolith, where his anxieties were tied to his career and not to dealing with the fallout of purposefully maligning his brother. Chuck loved Jimmy, but it was in denying this and failing to see that room exists in this world for Jimmy's antics and that he could even be bested by them should he take them on head-to-head. Chuck very well could have remained at the top if he accepted Jimmy for who he was in the world of law, but he believed that if Jimmy is able to operate in his field it delegitimizes all of the effort and honor and esteem Chuck saw in himself as he saw in the law. By always holding Jimmy to a lower standard, he was able to keep his mind and heart at ease that Jimmy couldn't amount to anything, and it was in this that Chuck saw Jimmy finding success as an afront to his own self-image. If Jimmy could do it, it made Chuck less. What he failed to realize, however, is that sleezy shyster Saul Goodman, if anything made the legal austerity of Chuck McGill that much more legitimate. In a way, having someone like Saul Goodman to undermine and manipulate the sanctity of the law made someone whose earnest diligence and ethical mastery of the law a testament to how prodigious they really were. So, him personally exalting Jimmy of pedigree and using Jimmy's love to lambast this point, effectively forced him to refuse the world of its empathy and drown in a pool of self-pity. It is hard to pity a man whose existence is marked by self-pity, and ultimately when one pities themselves so much they eventually reach the point where it becomes impossible even for oneself to pity themselves, and thus Chuck's story came to a satisfying end.
I won't say why that parallels this episode outright, to avoid spoilers, but to those who watched it, and understand the implication, it should be noted that this sentiment is not shared in light of this episode. It's a good sentiment to have when the main characters are the authors of the disasters in their story, so missing that sentiment after this episode makes it truly a tough pill to swallow.
As far as the episode as a whole went, however, there were moments of cinematographic genius (or stupidity), particularly in the earlier sequences, which really showcase just how much fun this show must be to make for the entire cast and crew. The pacing was stupendous, and I don't think I've felt this season much malaise to knowing how little time was left in the episode, but this episode could have been an hour longer and I would have no complaints. Every second of this episode was thrilling, and every development truly gunning for that endgame importance. With this episode we enter the final stages of the serious, and with this episode, I am, for the first time, extremely nervous how it will play out for Kim and Jimmy (particularly Kim, as we know Jimmy at least survives beyond Breaking Bad.) I'm also left wondering when they season cold opens intersect with the main story as there is very little (roughly 5-7 hours) of screentime left for the series and how those last handful of hours will play out is as big a mystery to me as this universe has ever presented. Surely we all knew Walt would eventually keep from maintaining his façade (technically, he only maintained it for the better part of two seasons until Skyler figured it out), and that it wouldn't end well for many of the actors involved, but only knowing that Jimmy, Mike, and Gus make it to Breaking Bad still leaves a lot of time for everyone else to eat the dust.
Overall, very impressed with this episode and how it weaves into the bigger picture. Still shocked. 10/10.
Truly remarkable how something of such levity turned into the headstone that would contain the souls of Jimmy and Kim. Indeed, what was revealed to be their deceit was something that did relatively little harm, but it culminated with a "wrong place, wrong time" scenario whose harm is now immeasurable. The implications this has on the overall tone and writing of Better Call Saul are immense, but it, at the very least, has turned the entire atmosphere into one of morose and taints some of the brighter more congenial moments with a mar of doom. Truly an episode that will, for me at least, keep me from watching the series through such rose-colored glasses that knowing the harrowing outcome of some of these jovial plotlines glues them to the inevitable.
The beauty of Chuck's character is that his attitude and outlook made his death one of calloused exaltation (he indubitably dug his own grave by building the inescapable or perhaps insurmountable walls of isolation that would eventually drive him mad). Not much sympathy is felt for Chuck because he shunned the very world that allowed him his success, the world where Jimmys were allowed their guise, where his peers didn't revere him as a monolith, where his anxieties were tied to his career and not to dealing with the fallout of purposefully maligning his brother. Chuck loved Jimmy, but it was in denying this and failing to see that room exists in this world for Jimmy's antics and that he could even be bested by them should he take them on head-to-head. Chuck very well could have remained at the top if he accepted Jimmy for who he was in the world of law, but he believed that if Jimmy is able to operate in his field it delegitimizes all of the effort and honor and esteem Chuck saw in himself as he saw in the law. By always holding Jimmy to a lower standard, he was able to keep his mind and heart at ease that Jimmy couldn't amount to anything, and it was in this that Chuck saw Jimmy finding success as an afront to his own self-image. If Jimmy could do it, it made Chuck less. What he failed to realize, however, is that sleezy shyster Saul Goodman, if anything made the legal austerity of Chuck McGill that much more legitimate. In a way, having someone like Saul Goodman to undermine and manipulate the sanctity of the law made someone whose earnest diligence and ethical mastery of the law a testament to how prodigious they really were. So, him personally exalting Jimmy of pedigree and using Jimmy's love to lambast this point, effectively forced him to refuse the world of its empathy and drown in a pool of self-pity. It is hard to pity a man whose existence is marked by self-pity, and ultimately when one pities themselves so much they eventually reach the point where it becomes impossible even for oneself to pity themselves, and thus Chuck's story came to a satisfying end.
I won't say why that parallels this episode outright, to avoid spoilers, but to those who watched it, and understand the implication, it should be noted that this sentiment is not shared in light of this episode. It's a good sentiment to have when the main characters are the authors of the disasters in their story, so missing that sentiment after this episode makes it truly a tough pill to swallow.
As far as the episode as a whole went, however, there were moments of cinematographic genius (or stupidity), particularly in the earlier sequences, which really showcase just how much fun this show must be to make for the entire cast and crew. The pacing was stupendous, and I don't think I've felt this season much malaise to knowing how little time was left in the episode, but this episode could have been an hour longer and I would have no complaints. Every second of this episode was thrilling, and every development truly gunning for that endgame importance. With this episode we enter the final stages of the serious, and with this episode, I am, for the first time, extremely nervous how it will play out for Kim and Jimmy (particularly Kim, as we know Jimmy at least survives beyond Breaking Bad.) I'm also left wondering when they season cold opens intersect with the main story as there is very little (roughly 5-7 hours) of screentime left for the series and how those last handful of hours will play out is as big a mystery to me as this universe has ever presented. Surely we all knew Walt would eventually keep from maintaining his façade (technically, he only maintained it for the better part of two seasons until Skyler figured it out), and that it wouldn't end well for many of the actors involved, but only knowing that Jimmy, Mike, and Gus make it to Breaking Bad still leaves a lot of time for everyone else to eat the dust.
Overall, very impressed with this episode and how it weaves into the bigger picture. Still shocked. 10/10.
"Whatever happens next, it's not gonna go down the way you think it is."
tobyford-7680823 May 2022
All good things come to an end.
With episode 7, the first half of season 6 concludes with a brutalist bang, crushing any concerns about the pacing of season 6 in a heartstopping instant.
Director Thomas Schnauz absolutely delivers:; flush with particularly elegant cinematographic flair, episode was cruel and unrelenting by all metrics, with fiery tension and ramifications that will echo across Gould and Gilligans universe for years.
One thing I particularly noticed was the foreboding sense of despair and downfall that underpinned the plot, travelling exactly where most viewers suspected but in a twisted, unique style packed to the brim with chicanery levels of emotion.
All in all, season 6a has been an emphatic success, with episode 1, 3 and 7 being the highlights.
With episode 7, the first half of season 6 concludes with a brutalist bang, crushing any concerns about the pacing of season 6 in a heartstopping instant.
Director Thomas Schnauz absolutely delivers:; flush with particularly elegant cinematographic flair, episode was cruel and unrelenting by all metrics, with fiery tension and ramifications that will echo across Gould and Gilligans universe for years.
One thing I particularly noticed was the foreboding sense of despair and downfall that underpinned the plot, travelling exactly where most viewers suspected but in a twisted, unique style packed to the brim with chicanery levels of emotion.
All in all, season 6a has been an emphatic success, with episode 1, 3 and 7 being the highlights.
I AM SHOOK
rrella24 May 2022
"Let's talk..............."
Adam-0926524 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I knew this weeks would not disappoint. The whole episode had my heart beating faster scene after scene. Howard struggling for balance as his reputation hangs on by a thread, desperate times called for unfortunate events.
The slow buildups in the last two episodes have more than paid off. A fantastic mid season finale, a real shocker.
Took me a few minutes to digest what i'd just seen.
9.8/10.
The slow buildups in the last two episodes have more than paid off. A fantastic mid season finale, a real shocker.
Took me a few minutes to digest what i'd just seen.
9.8/10.
Best episode of season 6
gug0524 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Holy crap. That was one of the most insane ending I've ever seen. But lets back it up. The Pacing in this episode was Phenomenal. It moves from scene to scene like a well oiled machine. That one shot where the camera is constantly spinning, excellent. The pre Insane saul storyline was excellent as well as the pre insane Lalo storyline. Saul and Kim are basically just chilling. And Lalo be sitting in the sewers, just waiting. Awesome. And that ending, oh my god. This was probably the first time the show made me audibly shout. One of the best twists ever. I really did not expect Lalo to kill Howard, that was the last thing I expected. I say this without a trace of sarcasm, Bravo Vince, Peter, everyone working on better call saul. This episode is amazing.
Holy crap - what just happened!
jeroen-10624 May 2022
This is why episodes that are rated 7's or 8's are important and not necessary problematic; with great writers and directors they function as a built-up to an intense episode - 10's. These should be rare, remain rare.
If music is intense all the time it's not possible to listen to it for more than 5 minutes. If it's low-key all the time, it gets boring. It needs to flow like a river; from calm streams to wild rapids. The pacing, the sub-plots with their own build-up and pay-off cadences, it all is a complex orchestrated effort.
BCS to me is even more impressive than BB in this regard. How high can you raise the bar. Amazing.
If music is intense all the time it's not possible to listen to it for more than 5 minutes. If it's low-key all the time, it gets boring. It needs to flow like a river; from calm streams to wild rapids. The pacing, the sub-plots with their own build-up and pay-off cadences, it all is a complex orchestrated effort.
BCS to me is even more impressive than BB in this regard. How high can you raise the bar. Amazing.
There are no fillers on this show
adriamontoya26 May 2022
If there's one thing that characterizes this show is that every scene has a meaning and a purpose. If something isn't relevant somehow, it's not shown. "People need to realize filler when they see it". No, you need to realize substance. Like, really.
Oh, and this was the best episode of the show (at least in the top 3) and one of the best of the entire BrBa/BCS universe.
Oh, and this was the best episode of the show (at least in the top 3) and one of the best of the entire BrBa/BCS universe.
Step back, and it's a pretty weak end of Part 1
jezfernandez26 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
A lot of fans claim Better Call Saul is superior to Breaking Bad, but here's the fundamental problem with the former: it simply isn't driven by the same high stakes as BB. Walter White, dying of incurable cancer, sets out to make quick dollar in the meth game. But one critical dilemma after another gets him in so deep, his entire character undergoes a frightening metamorphosis.
Not so for Saul Goodman who, despite his impressive talents, will always be a carnival conman (albeit with a truckload of cash). Worse still, Kim Wexler's breaking bad trajectory makes little to no sense, other than a weird sexual fetish that never quite rings true.
The long con with Howard was intriguing, but it was also incredibly petty and downright mean-spirited. It was a game, and little more. A much more compelling con was the one on Chuck. For starters, Jimmy had believable motivation. Kim won Mesa Verde and Chuck tried to do her over. So Jimmy pulled an impressive con, outsmarting his genius brother and all for the woman he loved.
The Howard con was essentially a repeat of the one on Chuck - make the mark seem paranoid and absurd, then slam dunk with a career-maiming act of humiliation. The courtroom showdown between Jimmy and Chuck was one of the best ever done, but Howard's end stretched all plausibility. Cliff Main seems unimaginably gullible, believing Howard to be a crack addict getting down with a series of prostitutes? The caffeine ingestion gig didn't ring true, and the whole boardroom collapse scene over-egged.
And then there was Howard's 'exit'. Somewhat shocking, yes. But Howard was never a character with skin in the game. So why invest so much time on him?
Arguably, the most compelling strand of the show (post-Chuck) was Nacho, a man who faced truly impossible choices with stakes at a Walter White level. It made fantastic television, except this is Saul's show, not Nacho's.
BCS is still one of the finest shows I've ever seen, not least for its stunning cinematography. But it will need to pull a major rabbit out of the hat to match the perfection of Breaking Bad.
Not so for Saul Goodman who, despite his impressive talents, will always be a carnival conman (albeit with a truckload of cash). Worse still, Kim Wexler's breaking bad trajectory makes little to no sense, other than a weird sexual fetish that never quite rings true.
The long con with Howard was intriguing, but it was also incredibly petty and downright mean-spirited. It was a game, and little more. A much more compelling con was the one on Chuck. For starters, Jimmy had believable motivation. Kim won Mesa Verde and Chuck tried to do her over. So Jimmy pulled an impressive con, outsmarting his genius brother and all for the woman he loved.
The Howard con was essentially a repeat of the one on Chuck - make the mark seem paranoid and absurd, then slam dunk with a career-maiming act of humiliation. The courtroom showdown between Jimmy and Chuck was one of the best ever done, but Howard's end stretched all plausibility. Cliff Main seems unimaginably gullible, believing Howard to be a crack addict getting down with a series of prostitutes? The caffeine ingestion gig didn't ring true, and the whole boardroom collapse scene over-egged.
And then there was Howard's 'exit'. Somewhat shocking, yes. But Howard was never a character with skin in the game. So why invest so much time on him?
Arguably, the most compelling strand of the show (post-Chuck) was Nacho, a man who faced truly impossible choices with stakes at a Walter White level. It made fantastic television, except this is Saul's show, not Nacho's.
BCS is still one of the finest shows I've ever seen, not least for its stunning cinematography. But it will need to pull a major rabbit out of the hat to match the perfection of Breaking Bad.
9.9 rating, Seriously?
athadu20 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
9.9 rating, Seriously? What for? Shocking killing of Howard? As far as I remember, Howard wasn't really that bad guy. I don't understand why Jimmy and Kim went to extreme lengths to tarnish Howard's reputation. Jimmy and Kim are totally responsible for Howard's death. No good characters to root for. This season was interesting till Nacho Varga was alive.
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